Finding the Right Air Purifier & How I Benefited From Using One

Posted on July 15, 2019

When I first started browsing air purifiers, one thing that I noticed right away were companies advertising their certifications for their product. While reading through a few of those, nothing stuck out and made sense to me because I’ve never heard of the certificates. I wondered if there was a single regulatory body that checks standards and claims for air purifiers. After some digging, I found the California Certified Air Cleaning Devices & Air Resource Board. Any air cleaner that is sold in California must meet the standards and requirements set by the Air Resource Board. When I compared and contrasted different boards and agencies across states, I found that California had some of the highest standards for air purifiers. Better yet, they have an available list of products that have passed their testing. If you are ever in the market for this type of device, start with the Air Resource Board to see if the air purifier meets their standards.

Another trait to take into consideration when looking for an air purifier is something called a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. In very basic terms, it’s the standard for how efficient a filter is at removing dust and other allergens in the air. To be considered a “True-HEPA filter” it must filter at least 99.97% of particulars whose diameter is greater than or equal to 0.3 micrometers. Now, maybe you’re thinking, why are you mentioning this, can’t I choose an air purifier if it just says HEPA on it? No. “True HEPA,” is a precise term; if any air purifier doesn’t explicitly say that and mention that it filters 99.97% of particulars, then it’s not going to be effective at purifying the air. Terms to watch out for are “HEPA-type” and “HEPA-like” because purifiers with that type of language most likely do not meet “True HEPA” filter requirements. Before I talk about how I’ve personally benefited from using an air purifier if you are in the market for one, check the square footage of the area that the device can clean. You want to ensure that it can clean the space efficiently before purchasing.

Finally, we’re here, and now I can talk about the boons of an air purifier. First, within an hour of setting up the machine, I noticed a change in the air quality and my allergies were reduced in real-time. Second, any stale or stagnant air was refreshed. Third, the air purifier that I purchased has a carbon filter that helps with odors from cooking. Fourth, my sleep that night was the best I’ve had in a long time. Lastly, I can’t overstate how the machine itself relaxes me after a long day of loud noises and unpleasant smells when I’m out in about. Just being able to walk into my room with clean air helps me decompress after a stressful day.

A few parting words that I have is to do your research. I’ve provided just a cursory glance at air purifiers, and I didn’t mention my specific model because I’m not here to sell you anything. My intention with this blog post is to give information, and the rest is up to you.